''The Testing Block'' is a 1920 American silent Western film directed by Lambert Hillyer and starring

William S. Hart William Surrey Hart (December 6, 1864 – June 23, 1946) was an American silent film actor, screenwriter, director and producer. He is remembered as a foremost Western star of the silent era who "imbued all of his characters with honor and integ ...

, Eva Novak, J. Gordon Russell, Florence Carpenter, Richard Headrick, and Ira McFadden. It was written by Lambert Hillyer and

. It was released on December 26, 1920, by

Paramount Pictures Paramount Pictures Corporation is an American film and television production company, production and Distribution (marketing), distribution company and the main namesake division of Paramount Global (formerly ViacomCBS). It is the fifth-oldes ...

Plot

As described in a film magazine, Nelly Gray (Novak), a member of a traveling show, is stranded when the manager abandons the troupe, and Sierra Bill (Hart), a member of a gang, helps with the gift of some gold. Although the gang leader has designs on the young woman, he agrees that the gang will fight it out among themselves and the last man standing will get her. Sierra Bill wins, and in a drunken fury forces Nelly to marry him. After the wedding he becomes the model husband and soon Sonny (Headrick) is born who is the apple of his father's eye. The gang leader returns with Rosita, a young Mexican woman, and discloses Sierra Bill's past to Nelly and suggests that he is even having an affair with Rosita. The gang leader directs Rosita through her cards to tell Sierra Bill that his wife is longing to leave him. Nelly agrees to leave with the trouble-maker, but with the promise that Sonny will soon join them. Sonny, however, is taken ill, and the husband and wife have a reunion at his bedside that brings a happy ending.

Cast

as 'Sierra' Bill * Eva Novak as Nelly Gray * J. Gordon Russell as Ringe * Florence Carpenter as Rosita * Richard Headrick as Sonny * Ira McFadden as Slim

Survival and Availability

''The Testing Block'' has survived in complete form and a print is held by the Library of Congress. Much of the film was shot in and around Capitola, California, and to celebrate the film's 100th anniversary a scan of the LOC print was screened at the Capitola Community Center on January 26, 2020. Afterward the Capitola History Museu
uploaded the film online
preceded by an introduction. Having been released in 1920, ''The Testing Block'' is in the public domain.

References

External links

*
The Testing Block
' on YouTube (Library of Congress film scan uploaded by the Capitola Historical Museum) * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Testing Block, The 1920 films 1920 Western (genre) films Paramount Pictures films Films directed by Lambert Hillyer American black-and-white films Silent American Western (genre) films 1920s English-language films 1920s American films English-language Western (genre) films